Nollywood star actress and box office powerhouse Funke Akindele has achieved another major cinema feat, as her latest film, Behind The Scenes, opened with strong nationwide earnings. The film grossed over ₦200 million in its opening weekend, marking the biggest opening weekend recorded in Nigerian cinemas so far in 2025. The milestone was announced on Monday by the film's distributor, FilmOne Entertainment, via an Instagram post accompanied by an official celebratory poster.
FilmOne disclosed that Behind The Scenes broke five opening weekend records and posted the highest admissions for any film this year, selling 34,548 tickets.
The distributor hailed Akindele as the “Queen of Box Office” and expressed gratitude to Nigerian audiences for turning out in large numbers and spreading the word about the film.
"It's your love that made this possible," FilmOne wrote, adding that Behind The Scenes is still showing in cinemas across the country.
The achievement further strengthens Akindele's impressive box office track record.
In December 2024, her comedy film 'Everybody Loves Jenifa' emerged as the highest-grossing Nollywood movie of the year after earning ₦511 million within 12 days of release. The film, which premiered on December 13, 2024, also became the fastest Nollywood title to cross the ₦500 million mark.
Announcing the milestone at the time, FilmOne Entertainment said the movie shattered multiple records across Nigerian cinemas.
Reacting to the success, Akindele thanked her fans and supporters, writing, "Thank you, Lord!! Thank you everyone!!! I couldn't have done this without your love and support!!! God bless you all!!!"
In its first week, Everybody Loves Jenifa sold more than 71,700 tickets and generated ₦72 million in its opening weekend alone.
Akindele’s earlier release, Omo Ghetto: The Saga, remains the highest-grossing Nollywood film of all time, with total ticket sales exceeding ₦1.5 billion.
Behind The Scenes is a drama that delves into the hidden struggles, pressures, healing processes, and unspoken truths that often lie beneath success and fame in the entertainment industry.
The film stars Funke Akindele, Tobi Bakre, Iyabo Ojo, Uzor Arukwe, Scarlet Gomez, Destiny Etiko, Uche Montana, Ini Dima-Okojie, Ibrahim Chatta, Adebayo Adebowale (Mr Macaroni), Fausat Balogun, Ejiro Onajaife, twin sisters Wanni and Handi Danbaki, Afeez Oyetoro, Dele Odule, and Akinola Ayoola Kamo.